Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday announced the government's decision to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to look into the 2G spectrum allocation scam.
Making the announcement in both the Houses of Parliament, Dr. Singh said the country could “ill afford'' disruption of the crucial budget session.
The winter session was washed out with the Opposition demanding the setting up of a JPC to probe the spectrum allocation which, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), had caused a “presumptive” loss of Rs.1.76-lakh crore to the exchequer.
Dr. Singh made a statement in the Lok Sabha as soon as it met for the first working day of the session. A formal motion for the constitution of a JPC would be moved soon, he said.
“We could not succeed in spite of our sincere efforts'' to persuade the Opposition not to insist on a JPC probe, Dr. Singh said, while adding that his government was committed to rooting out corruption. The Prime Minister said “all effective steps” were taken to convince the Opposition in this regard.
“We can ill afford a situation, where Parliament is not allowed to function during the crucial Budget session. It is in these special circumstances that our government agrees to the setting up of a JPC,'' he said.
Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj thanked the Prime Minister for the decision. “We should not see this as a victory or defeat. This is a victory of democracy. We should all work together putting aside any talk of victory or defeat,” she said, appealing to the NDA MPs to let the House function in an orderly manner.
